Lubricating device



Dec. 8, 1936. H, R. TEAR LUBRICATING DEVICE F-iled Sept. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Tme.

ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1936. H R TEAR I 2,063,412

LUBRICATING DEVICE Filed Sept. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR" Patented Dec. 8, 1936 PATENT OFFICE LUBRICATING DEVICE Harry'lt. Tear, Evanston, Ill., assignor to The Lubrication Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application September 25, 1935', Serial No. 42,000 2 Claims. (01. 22147.3

This invention relates to lubricating devices and more particularly to portable lubricant dispensers having a reservoir to contain a supply of lubricant.

Lubricant dispensers or grease guns of this type ordinarily have reservoirs or barrels which sometimes serve as containers for bulk lubricant and sometimes serve as mere protective housings for cartridges (factory filled packages of lubricant). These barrels are usually constituted by shells made of thin steel tubing or sheet steel for lightness and strength and it is desirable to' have one end of the shell detachable from the dispenser or gun or to provide a detachable cap for the other end of the shell or both in order that the shell may be filled readily with bulk lubricant or that a cartridge may be inserted' in the shell. It is also desirable to construct the detachable joint between the shell and the gun and/or the cap so that these parts can be attached to and detached from one another quickly and easily.

Prior to the present invention these detachable-joints have been formed either by cutting fine screw threads in the ends of the shell or by pressing or rolling relatively coarse screw threads'therein. If cut threads were used, they were necessarily very fine to avoid excessive weakening of the relatively thin shell, and the use of fine threads in turn necessitated a large number of threads turned several complete revolutions into the joint to provide a firm joint. This led to several disadvantages in that it was extremely tedious to turn the shell or other part through several complete revolutions each time the parts were attached or detached and in that the fine threads were found to. be extremely liable to be damaged due to being struck when the parts were detached or due to becoming crossed during interengagement of the parts.

Rolled or pressed threads were also unsatisfactorydue to the axial length of shell required for their formation and to the weakness of the joint formed thereby, particularly in tension. Another difficulty incident to either of these types of joints was that of forming a tight seal between the end of the shell and the gun and/or cap which is necessary in case the shell is filled directly with bulk lubricant or where air pressure is used to urge lubricant from a cartridge into the dispenser. Since the shell was quite thin it presented an end section too small to seat properly on a gasket.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a lubricating device in which the above -mentioned difficulties and disadvantages are eliminated.

It is another object of the invention to provide a lubricating device having a lubricant barrel in which the barrel can be quickly and easily attached to or detached from the device.

Another object is to provide a novel'shell in which the end of the shell is protected and in which sealing may be effected readily.

According to one novel arrangement, a barrel is provided constituted by a relatively thin tubular shell having fine screw threads at one end by which it is secured more or less permanently to a relatively heavy ring. The 'ring has coarse threads by which it is easily and quickly attached to a lubricating device and/or cap and serves also to protect the end of the shell and to provide a large sealing area for engagement with a gasket.

Other and further objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will appear from 20 the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show several illustrative embodiments of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of a lubricant dispenser embodying the invention with parts in section and parts in elevation;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional nector;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified construction; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a lubricant shell with a cap attached thereto.

The dispenser of Fig. 1 is illustrated as of the view of a conpower operated type constituted by a power de- 3 vice I to which a handle 2 is attached and a trigger 3 for controlling operation of the power device. The power device I may be of any desired type to be operated by any suitable medium suchas compressed air or electricity, to a source 0 of which, not shown, the power device may be connected. A pump 4 is rigidly connected to the power device and has an outlet 5 which is adapted to be connected either directly or through a flexible conduit to a suitable dispensing nozzle, not shown, for supplying lubricant to a point or points to be serviced.

The pump 4 receives lubricant through an inlet opening 6 formed in a connector member I which is rigidly attached to the pump.. The connector 1 is formed with an inlet stud 8 which is of such a shape as to form a lubricant tight seal with a cartridge which supplies lubricant to the pump'or on which is threaded a member endof the ring 2| seats.

3 so shaped as to form a seal with the cartridge. The connector I is also formed with a depending cylindrical skirt l provided with relatively coarse internal screw threads and with a threaded lug I I by whichv it is attached to the pump.

Lubricant is suppied to the pump from a lubricant cartridge l2 having an outlet opening l3 in one end thereof, the walls of which are shaped to form a lubricant tight seal with the member 9. The end of the cartridge I2 adjacent the outlet opening has a forwardly projecting flange l4 formed with lugs to make a bayonet joint with a connector plate l5 which is secured to the stud 8 as by being slipped over the stud and clamped thereon by the member 9. The opposite end of the cartridge is closed by a slidable follower piston l6 which may be moved through the cartridge to urge the contents therefrom into the pump 4.

In order to inclose and protect the cartridge there is provided a barrel constituted by a cylindrical shell I! closed at one end by a cap I8 and adapted to be connected to the skirt III at its opposite end. The cap I8 is permanently or semipermanently attached to the shell as by screw threads and carries an air inlet valve I9 which is provided with a vent 20 adapted to be closed when the inlet valve is fully screwed into the cap but opened to vent air from the shell when the valve is unscrewed slightly. The purpose of the air inlet valve is to place the interior of the shell under pressure to urge the piston |6 through the cartridge and it will be apparent that the valve I! might be replaced by a compression spring, a manual feed rod, or other suitable means to urge the piston l6 through the cartridge.

According to the present invention the shell I! is detachably connected to the skirt I0 through an annular ring2l formed of relatively heavy material and permanently or semipermanently secured to the shell through fine screw threads. The exterior surface of the ring 2| is formed with relatively coarse screw threads for engagement with the internal threads on the ring I0 and, if desired, a sealing gasket 22 may be mounted in the connector 1 against which the To remove the shell from the dispenser as in replacing the cartridge it is only necessary to unscrew the ring 2| from the skirt III, the thickness of the ring permitting the use of coarse threads which provide a quick and easy attachment and detachment. Since the ring always stays on the shell it serves to protect the end of the shell from damage and also provides a large surface to seat on the sealing gasket 22.

Figure 2 illustrates a slightly modified construction including a connector 23 having an inlet stud 24 and a threaded flange 25 for con nection to a dispenser. The connector has an internally threaded skirt 26 to which is detachably secured an externally threaded annular ring 21, a gasket 28 preferably being arranged be:

tween the end of the ring and the connector. A' shell 23 is secured to the ring 21 by fine screw threads and is adapted to contain bulk lubricant which can be dischargedthrough the stud 24 and flange 25 into a dispenser.

In Figure 3 there is shown a further modification constituted by a connector 30 having an inlet stud 3|, an outlet stud 32 and an externally parent that many changes might be made.

threaded skirt 33. An internally threaded arinular ring 34 is detachably connected to the skirt 33 and seats against a gasket 35 which is held in place by an annular skirt 36. The ring 34 is secured to a shell 31 in a permanent or semi-permanent manner as by fine screw threads.

Figure 4 shows an arrangement for attaching a cap to a. shell and which may be used in conjunction with any of the previously described arrangements for attaching the shell to a dispenser or with a shell which is more or less permanently attached to a dispenser. As shown, a cap 38 having an air valve 39 with a vent 40 therein is formed with an internally threaded skirt 4|, adjacent the inner' end of which an annular gasket 42 is mounted. An externally threaded annular ring 43 is detachably connected to the skirt 4| to seat on the gasket 42 and has more or less permanently secured thereto a shell 44 which may contain bulb lubricant or a lubricant cartridge. The cap 38 may be detached from the ring 43 without disturbing the connection between the ring and the shell, thus leaving the ring to protect the thin edge of the shell.

While several embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be ap- For example, the shell might be secured to the ring by welding or brazing or a bayonet joint might be substituted for the coarse thread connection between the ring and the connector or the cap. It is, therefore, not intended that the scope of the invention shall be limitedto the embodiments shown or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1..A lubricating device comprising, a pump having an inlet opening surrounded by an annular collar provided with coarse screw threads, and a barrel adapted to be secured to said pump and including a thin walled cylindrical shell, a cylindrical connecting ring of relatively thick section, one end of said ring and one end of said shell being connected by means forming a semi-permanent connection, the opposite end 01? the ring being formed with screw threads to engage the threads on the collar, and an annular sealing gasket carried by the collar in register with the adjacent end 01 the ring to form a fluid tight seal between the collar and the ring.

2. A lubricating device comprising, a pump having an inlet opening and an annular collar surrounding the inlet opening, means spaced from said collar and forming therewith an an! nular gasket space, screw threads formed on the same side of the collaras said space, a sealing gasket in said space, and a barrel adapted to be secured to said pump and including a thin walled cylindrical shell and a cylindrical connecting ringof relatively thick section, one end of the ring and one end of the shell being semipermanently secured together and the other end of the ring being formed with screw threads to engage the screw threads on the collar, said last named end of the ring presenting a flat relatively wide annular surface to engage said sealing gasket and form a fluid tight seal therewith when the parts are assembled.

HARRY R. TEAR. 

